The present invention relates to an air-cooled absorption heating and cooling system and, more particularly, to an air-cooled absorption heating and cooling system used in building air-conditioning heat and cool source equipment.
The present invention relates to an air-cooled absorption heating and cooling system employing plural path absorption processes which have an air-cooled absorber and an air-cooled condenser. An absorbent solution has a counter-flow relationship with the cooling air. The absorbent solution and the refrigerant vapor have a cross-flow relationship with the cooling air.
A conventional air-cooled absorption refrigeration system is proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,623. The absorption refrigeration system described above mainly includes a generator, an air-cooled absorber having one path absorption process comprising only one group of a plurality of the vertical tubes, and an evaporator.
The vertical tube group provides absorbent solution storage members on the top thereof. The absorbent solution storage members are partitioned in plural storage chambers with particular members. A dense absorbent solution or strong solution is supllied into the plural storage chambers through absorbent solution conduits from the side portions of the storage chambers and stored in the storage chambers. The strong solution supplied to the generator is led to the top portion of the vertical tube group, so that the strong solution flows down into the vertical tube group. The refrigerant vapor generated in the evaporator is supplied into the bottom portions of the vertical tube group, so that the refrigerant vapor is absorbed with the absorbent solution, which flows down into the vertical tube group, then a diluted absorbent solution containing a large quantity of the refrigerant, which is a weak solution, is generated in this absorption refrigeration system.
Absorption heat, which is generated in the diluted absorbent solution generation process, is taken away by the cooling air, which passes over the outside surface of the vertical tube group, through the vertical tube walls and the fins thereof.
However, in this absorption refrigeration system having one path absorption process, there is no consideration taken about the absorption process having plural path absorption processes or the multi-path absorption processes. Therefore, in the air-cooled absorption refrigeration system utilizing the ambient atmosphere for cooling the air-cooled absorber, the absorbent solution is not cooled fully during the absorption solution flow-down absorption process into the vertical tube group.
It is difficult to make the concentration level of the absorbent solution and the temperature level of the absorbent solution, which are respectively necessary to perform the absorption refrigeration cycle.
Another known water-cooled absorption refrigeration system employing a water-cooled absorber is proposed. In this system, the absorption process carried out repeatedly in plural paths or in multi-stages, and the absorbent solution flow-down distance is lengthen.
However, in this water-cooled absorption refrigeration system, there is no consideration taken about the absorbent solution circulation flow amount in each path absorption process with correspond to the cooling air amount in each path absorption process. Because of a series absorbent solution flow construction in the water-cooled absorber, the absorbent solution circulation flow amount in each path absorption process is substantially equal to be the absorbent solution inflow amount in the water-cooled absorber. Only the refrigerant vapor amount, which is absorbed in the water-cooled absorber, increases therein.
With so little absorbent solution circulation flow amount, it is necessary to increase the path number of the absorption process or to lengthen the substantial absorbent solution flow-down distance for generation of the concentration level and the temperature level of the absorbent solution, which are necessary to perform the absorption refrigeration cycle. However, even if this water-cooled multi-paths type absorber may apply to the air-cooled type absorber, it is difficult to put the system to practical use.
In the conventional air-cooled absorption refrigeration system, an absorbent solution circulation flow amount in the absorption process has a tendency to be insufficient in comparison with the cooling capacity of the cooling air. The absorbent solution circulation flow amount in the absorption process is not suited to comply; with the cooling capacity of the cooling air. The absorbent solution is not generated having a level of the most diluted concentration, which can perform in accordance with the cooling capacity of the cooling air passing the air-cooled absorber.
In case of the air-cooled absorption heating and cooling system, the air-cooled condenser and the air-cooled absorber have, respectively a large heating area, so that hot insulation in this system becomes impossible. Even if the compulsory ventilation is stopped during stoppage of the cooling fan, heat dissipation into the ambient atmosphere may occur due to the natural convection effect phenomenon.
Accordingly, a considerable amount of heat energy, which is introduced in the high temperature stage regenerator, is discharged into the ambient atmosphere through heat release phenomenon. Therefore, heat energy in the high temperature stage regenerator is not used effectively for heating the hot water during a heating mode operation of this system.